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Birmingham is expanding its vision of good local government with a more collaborative, bottom-up approach. Can local economics in the region be similarly expanded through a shared vision of the common good?

Birmingham and the West Midlands have a history of strong civil society and social innovation, from the philanthropism of the Quakers to today’s social enterprise quarter. Here are ten of the best ideas for change in the region:

A group of young adults living in Heath Town in Wolverhampton are turning their estate into a digital factory. Operating out of disused shops, a closed-down youth club and former underground car park, they are transforming the heritage of the past using the tools of the future.

The new Midlands Metropolitan Hospital plans to be embedded within its local economy in a similar way to that of Cadbury’s in Bourneville, offering a test case for the new role of anchor institutions in regeneration.

As Birmingham Council deals with the aftermath of a damning review into its operations, Mark Rogers, its chief executive, spoke to New Start about the legacy of Chamberlain, devolving power to street level and putting happiness barometers in every neighbourhood